It’s 2018, and Saturday, April 21, is the 11th annual Record Store Day—does anybody still need to have this peculiar holiday explained to them? If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already woken up early on a Saturday in April to stand in line with vinyl addicts and record flippers. You know the score, for good or for ill. Record Store Day started as a way to celebrate and rally support for the last remaining independent brick-and-mortar music retailers, but not even the best-intentioned commercial undertaking can entirely immunize itself from the distortions of capitalism—for some small indie shops, Record Store Day is now basically an injection of overpriced major-label vinyl that turns them into hosts for a parasitic inventory that’s alien to what they usually sell. This Saturday, someone will surely camp outside a shop before dawn to secure a reissued copy of Adam Sandler’s 1993 debut album, They’re All Gonna Laugh at You.
Bob’s Blues & Jazz Mart In-store performance by Lurrie Bell at 1 PM. New T-shirts from Delmark Records and Bob’s Blues & Jazz Mart on sale. New Delmark releases (including Tribute, a covers compilation celebrating the label’s 65th anniversary) will be available, and all used CDs are 25 percent off. 10:30 AM-6:30 PM, 3419 W. Irving Park, 773-539-5002, delmark.com/bluesandjazzmart.
Gramaphone Records In-store DJ sets from the owners of several local dance labels: Sam Kern (God Particle), Parris Mitchell (Dance Mania), ChicagoDeep/Taelue (Perpetual Rhythms), Tim Zawada (Star Creature Universal Vibrations), Daryl Cura (Eargasmic Recordings), Bai-ee (Secret Studio), and Garrett David (Night Sea Journey). noon-8 PM, 2843 N. Clark, 773-472-3683, gramaphonerecords.com.
Logan Hardware No Record Store Day titles, but sales include VHS tapes, cassettes, and hip-hop 12-inches for $1 each and DVDs, T-shirts, and deadstock LPs for $2 each. For $15 you can buy and fill a reusable “Big Dig” record bag with seven-inches from the store’s basement. DJs spin in the shop all day: Jill Hopkins, DJ Reggie, Baggy Time, Noleian Reusse, Nathan Aguleria, Gethro Jones, CoryaYo, St. Stephen, Matt Schneider, and Skyler Rowe. The sales and in-store performances continue on Sunday. Noon-9 PM, 2532 W. Fullerton, 773-235-5030.
Purple Llama Coffee & Records Ten percent off all records; $1 small drip coffee or espresso with Record Store Day receipt from any local shop. In-store performances by Ovef Ow and Health & Beauty. 7 AM-7 PM, 2140 W. Division St., 847-385-4538, purplellamachicago.com.
